Mapping Theory

Discussion and analysis of graphics, story, levels, and so on.
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XkyRauh
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Mapping Theory

Post by XkyRauh »

Here's a good one!

I saw an article on Rock, Paper, Shotgun about three hundred game design ideas, and so I started skimming. I didn't make it past #4 before I needed to stop and start a thread about it.

The Environment Tree

It's a pretty simple guideline for laying out the progression of a player through an environment. Has anyone ever done anything like this, when creating their levels? There's not a lot to it, but I like how clearly it defines areas, and limits the player's workable area until they bypass a gate.

If you took the time, for example, you could arguably chart all of Super Metroid with this system, with each ability/beam upgrade being a key to some sort of abstract lock. :)

Personally, I plan to start using this strategy for mapping things in my Keen:Galaxy mods; What're your thoughts?
Kdash
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Post by Kdash »

That's pretty cool. never thought of doing it like that. This might help me finish my levels for my 2nd mod...
KeenRush
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Post by KeenRush »

I didn't even properly understand it, probably, but it seems completely useless to me. I don't need to plan like this. Or do you want me to plan more difficult levels? >:] My level building happens naturally and if I have something very good idea (or I think so) I can't instantly put into use I may jot it down to remember it later, but mostly I forget to do that...

Ah, genius314, yeah, it'd be cool to see it ready.
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grelphy
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Post by grelphy »

I have a tendency to make puzzle levels with lots (seriously, dozens or more) of doors. I usually revert to counting key/doors and repeated testing to make sure it's doable; not sure how mappable these levels would be, or whether it would be worth the time.

Frequently, I'll toss in an "extra" key that you can emerge from the puzzle with by using a more difficult route around some door or other that then unlocks some other goodies later on... ;)
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The Shifted One
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Post by The Shifted One »

I personally dont draw out schemes like this but I do work in a somewhat similiar fashion when creating my levels.
The only problem I encounter is often creating things when Im too drunk to really be doing any work.
This usually results in the main paths being confusing/inaccesable themselfs :P

And as you said, you would use it for Galaxy mods and I have to agree this system would work well on that but theres other games it just doesnt work for ;)

But even if you follow a system like this it still doesnt really garauntee a fun level...
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XkyRauh
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Post by XkyRauh »

The reason I posted this was to try and help fight Grelphy's system: Personally, I find those 30-key-door levels to be incredibly frustrating, or at the very least superfluous.

The way this chart lays it out, there's a pretty natural progression. The player has access to a starting area that is only a portion of the entire level (though this can be of any size). After some exploration, a key is obtained--this opens the path to another part of the level; the player now has access to more of the level, but still not all of it. They must scour this new area to find another key, which opens the door to the final area, which allows them to complete the level.

Now, so far as "secret" stuff goes, the key to the extra area should be in that final area, such that a player who has made it right to the finish line can choose--do I go back? Or do I finish?

The flow of the entire level is in little bubbles--area one, key, area two, key, final area, completion. It's easy to build the level with this in mind, and I honestly feel that it helps a new player navigate a bit easier.

Take, for example, Guard Post One in Keen6. The player can explore the first area they're presented with, which is rather large, and the player meets a few obstacles: A green door, a blue door, and many enemies. The blue key isn't accessible--it's VISIBLE, but unreachable. The player has to figure out how to get there. THe green key, on the other hand, is easy to get. So the first stage gives us the green key, which lets us into the second area--a switch, which gives us the blue key, letting us into the final area, which has an optional route back to the beginning for points, or the exit. Textbook example! :)

A beginning player, when exploring, will come across the blue door, the green door, and think "How do I open these?" The blue gem is easy to spot--it's just unreachable, so the search narrows down to "Where is the green key?" Look at how much effort was taken to make sure you could SEE all the obstacles, even though you couldn't immediately SOLVE them.

:) I think this sort of approach may matter a lot more to Galaxy mods, where the ground is so complicated to set up, compared to the tile-based Vorticons maps.
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The Shifted One
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Post by The Shifted One »

Pretty much most larger Galaxy levels more or less follow that pattern.
But as in secrets I disagree with the "Just one secret you have to go back for" part.
I myself like to add a few optional paths which become accesable over time one by one.
This will both keep you searching as it will give you a good look of the general level outlay plus some extra points.
I like the fact of having to explore a large part to get familiar with the level layout you see.
Perhaps it is that I enjoy those kind of things myself that I add them, Im not too sure :P

But I am glad to hear more Galaxy mods are in the making.
I consider myself both a good graphics and a good level designer but I dont have the time anymore to do one myself.
And hearing you like these kind of level designs makes me sure it will be a good mod too.
levellass
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Post by levellass »

I have two competing systems for level design at present; the first is allowing a level to develop stepwise, I start with some ground, build up an area, maybe add a door, then see what I can build next, and so on. The other system is for more complex levels, where I have say tasks that must be completed; I draw up a stick diagram of the level, then add the basic elements to the map, then the ground and finally everything else on top of it.

This chart is useful, but only when you plan more complex levels. As anyone who'd played my Galaxy mod would see, my levels in it were basic 'head in that direction until you find an exit' style. Many Keen Galaxy levels follow this pattern (Hilliville for example, and almost all levels in Biomenace.) and plenty of others have a 'do this section then move on' (Most obviously the pyramid of the forbidden, which is just one long set of hard tasks.)

While this can be very useful for keeping track of more complex levels, its utility depends on your level making style. If you're not the type to plan out your levels and structure them in a complex manner, you're just not going to be able to work with this. Certainly Xky, it seems to suit you.
EricMushroomWilson
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Post by EricMushroomWilson »

Very interesting. It'd be interesting to see this used to map out Super Metroid like you mentioned. Although I think there are quite a few ways to break the sequence of events in Super Metroid and get to areas you shouldn't be able to access yet, so I don't know how that would effect the mapping.

Anyway, it's an interesting system. Not suited to all levels or level designers, but it seems like a good way of abstracting the flow of a Metroid-style game, or indeed a level where the puzzles and progression is just based on finding keys. It seems like it could be used for Keen:Galaxy levels.

Hmm... now that I think about it, it seems like it might be useful for mapping the flow of events in an RPG, as well, possibly...

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